Slack-adjuster.



No. 777,098. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904. P. HIEN.

SLAGK ADJUSTER.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 20. 1903.

mi MODEL. zsHEETs-SHBBT 2.

170.777,098. PATENTBD DEG. 13, 1904,

' P. HIEN.

SLAK ADJUSTER.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. zo, 190s. y

No MODEL. 7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nilo. 777,098.

Nrrn `Sintes Patented December 13, 1904.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,098, dated December 13, 1901i. Application filed February Z0, 1903. Serial No. 144,193. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom; it 'nm/y cm1/cern:

Be it known that l, Pi-IILLIP HIMN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of '.lllinois, have in vented acertain new and useful lmprovemen tin Slack- Adjusters; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accormpianying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to railwaybrakes, and more particularlyv to slack-ad justers.

ln order that the brakes of a car maybe applied with maximum efficiency7 it is necessary that the slack in the brake-rigging, which eonstantly results from the wearing' away of the brake-shoes, should be eliminated as fast as it occurs, and thereby prevent an increase in the throw of the piston and the consequent decrease in pressure per square inch in the brakecylinder. In slack-zuljusters as usually constructed the slack is only removed when a predetermined amount exists. Consequently the maximum braking pressure only available immediately after the operation of the adjuster, and during the existence of less slack than the predetermined amount the brakes are operated at less than maximum efliciency.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a slack-adjustcr which will take up any existing slack each time the brakes arc applied, thereby maintaining the throw of the brake-piston constant and securing the greatest braking efficiency at each application of the brakes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a slack-adjuster' which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and etiicient in operation.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in whieh- Figure l is a perspective view of a brakecylinder and a portion of the brake-rigging with my improved adjuster applied thereto;

Fig. 2, an elevational view of a portion of my adjuster; Fig. 3,'an elevational view of the easing, forming part of lny adjuster; vFig. e, a horizontal sectional view of the complete adjuster and coiperating parts ofthe brakerigging, and Fig. 5 a sectional view on line 5 5. Fig. Li.

Similar reference characters are used to indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referenccdetter A designates a brake-cylinder in which the piston is adapted to reciprocate.

fr. indicates the piston-rod, to which is pivotally connected the brake-lever B. y

L indicates the connecting-rod, which extends from the lever B to the live and dead levers at one of the trucks of the car.

B" indicates the second brake-lever, which is pivoted between the lugs a', projecting from the cyliiuler-head.

/i designates the connecting-rod, which cX- tends to the live and dead levers at the other truck under the car.

Thebrakc-cylinder and brake-riggingabove described are in common use and form no part of my invention.

lt is customary to connect the levers B and B at points intermediate of their ends by a shaft which communicates movement to the lever B from the lever li'. usual shaft connecting the levers B' and lili, ,l provide a shaft C, the ends of which are oppositely screw-threaded and which engage screw threaded openiiilgs formed in the buckles c and ci. These buckles are preferably formed integrally with the castings (l/ and (f, which are bifureated and surround the levers l and B, respectively, to which they are pivotally connected.

Surrounding and fixed to the shaft C is a ratchet-wheel l). Any suitable means may be employed for non-rotatably iixing the ratchetwheel upon the shaft Cwsuch, for instance, as pins (l, extending through the hubs of the ratchet-wheel and through the shaft. Loosely mounted upon the shaft C is a casing E, which surrounds the ratchet-wheel D. A cover lil surroumls the shaft C on `the opposite side of the ratchet-wheel from the casing E and is ln lieu of the IOO secured to the casing E by any suitable meanssuch, for instance, as screws e.

Pivotally supported within the casing E is a pawl E, adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel D. The pawl may be conveniently supported in the casing by means of trunnions f, which extend through registering openings formed in the casing E and cover E. A headed pin F projects upwardly from the pawl and extends through the casing E, thereby affording' means for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet-wheel.

Projecting laterally from the casing E is a spirally-disposed incline E3, which may be re cessed, as shown at e3, to afford a space for a lubricant. Asecond spirally-disposed incline E2 is preferably provided at the point on the casing E diamctrically opposite the first incline E3.

A bracket G loosely surrounds the shaft C and is fixed against movement by any suitable means-such, for instance, as a horizontal ange G-through holes in which bolts are passed into engagement with the bottom of the car or other support. The bracket G may be conveniently so proportioned that its fastening-iiange G occupies the same horizontal plane as the Harige A on the brake-cylinder. The bracket G supports spirallyndisposed inclined planes G3 and Gt, which conform in curvature to the inclines E3 and E* and which are located the same distances from the shaft@ as are the inclines Eand E2. vThe bracket G is provided with a lateral extension in which is formed a slot G2. A guide-finger E2 is fixed upon the casing E and extends through the slot G2.

A handle H is fixed upon the shaft@ and is preferably provided with acollar 7L, located adjacent to the hub of the casingE and which serves as a stop to assume the strain which may be imposed upon the casing during the operation of the adjuster.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Vhen the brakes are applied, compressed air flows into the brake-cylinder and so moves the piston therein that the lever B is oscillated about the casting C. Powder is transmitted from the lever B through the casting C', shaft C, and casting C2 to the lever B2 and oscillates the latter about its pivotal connection with the lugs a'. The position of the bracket G is such that the movement of the shaft C carries the casing E to such a position that the inclines E3 and E* thereon engage the inclines G3 and G4 on the bracket. When there is no slack in the brake-rigging, the brake-shoes are applied to the wheels of thev car when the inclines E3 and E4 engage the inclines G3 and Gf; but when any slack exists the movement of the shaft C is more extended, and hence the inclines E3 and E* are moved through engagement with the inclines G3 and Gf, thereby correspondingly rotating the casing E, and through the engagement of the pawl F, carried by the casing with a tooth on the ratchetwheel D, the shaft C is rotated, thereby turning the screw-threaded ends thereon within the screw-threaded openings in the buckles c and c2. The distance between the buckles c' and c2 is consequently decreased and the levers B' and B2 drawn closer together, thereby eliminating the slack. V hen the air is exhausted from the brake-cylinder and the levers B' and B2 resume their normal positions, the casingE is carried away from the bracket G and the inclines Eri and El disengaged from the inclines G3 and Gf. As soon as the inclines permit, the casing rotates by gravity in a reverse direction from that in which it is moved by the engaged inclines, such movement of the casing by gravity being limited by the finger E2 engaging the bottom of the slot As the casing only falls back by gravity the distance which it was rotated by the inclines, it is evident that the pawl F will be moved with respect to the ratchet-wheel merely the corresponding distance, and only when the movement by the engaged inclines has rotated the ratchet-wheel a distance correspondingl to one tooth thereon will the pawl fall into engagement with the succeeding tooth upon the release of the brakes.

Then the new brake-shoes are substituted for those which have been worn out, it is necessary to let out the slack which has been taken up-that is, lengthen the shaft between the levers B and B2, so that the new brakeshoes will not be forced against the Wheels with such power as to lock the wheels against rotation. This may be readily done by lifting the pawl out of engagement with the teeth on the ratchet-wheel and then rotating the shaft C in a reverse direction by means of the handle H.

From the foregoing description it would be observed that l have invented an improved slack-adjuster which will vremove any existing slack each time the brakes are applied and which permits the slack to be readily let out when new shoes are secured to the brakebeams in lieu of those which have been Worn out.

Thile I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportionof parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a slack-adj uster, the combination with the brake-rigging comprising a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded connection with a non-rotating cooperating part, of a support rotatively mounted upon said shaft, a pawland-ratchet connection interposed between IOO IIO

said .shaft and said support.l means Yfor rotating said support in a direction to impart rotary movement to said shaft through the pawland-ratchet connection during the application ot` the brakes.

' 2. In a slack-adjuster the combination with a rotary shaft, oiE a non-rotative part in screwthreaded engagement with said shaft, a cas ing rotatively mounted on said shaft, a pawl pivotally supported in said casing, a ratchetwheel lixed upon said shatt and surrounded by said casing, and means for rotating said easing in a direction to impart rotary movement to said shaft through the engagement oi said pawl with said ratchet during the application ot' the brakes.

3. In a slack-adjuster, the combination with the brake-rigging comprising a rotatable sha't't having a screw-threaded connection with a cooperating non-rotatable part, olf a ratchetwheel lixed upon said shaft, a casing surrounding said ratchet-wl'ieel and rotatively supported upon said shaft, a pawl mounted upon said casing, a spirally-disposed incline carried by said casing, a cooperating iixed ineline located in the path of movement of the incline on the casing when the brakes are ap-y plied whereby said shaft is rotated through the engagement of the incline on the casing with the fixed incline.

4. 1n a slack-adjuster, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a non-rotatable coperating part in screw-threaded engagement with said shaft, a ratchet-wheel iixed upon said shaft, a casing surrounding the ratchetrwheel and rotatively supported by the shaft, a pawl cooperating with said ratchet-wheel and pivetally supported by said casing, means for rotating said casing when the brakes are applied in a direction to cause said paw] and ratchet to eii'ect a rotation ot said shaft, said casing adapted to move by gravity in a direction to disengage said pawl from the teeth on said ratchet-wheel.

5. 1n a slack-adj uster, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a non-rotatable part in screw-threaded engagement with said shaft, a fixed guide through which said shaft passes, a spirally-disposed incline on said guide, a casing surrounding said shaft and loosely sup ported thereby7 a ratchet-wheel iixed upon said shaft, a pawl carried by said casing and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, a spirally-disposed incline carried by said casing adapted when the brakes are applied to engage the incline on said guide to rotate said casing and thereby through the engagement between said pawl and ratchet-wheel rotate said shaft.

(i. ln a slaekauljuster, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a cooperating non-rotatable part having screw-threaded connection with said shaft. a ratehet-wheel iixed upon said shaft, a casing surrounding the ratchet wheel and rotative] y supported by said shaft, a pawl pivotal ly mounted within said casing, means for rotating said casing during the application o'li' the brakes in a direction to rotate said shaftthrough said pawl and ratchet, said easing adapted to rotate in a reverse direetion by gravity upon the release oi a brake, and lneans for limiting' the movement et' said casingl by gravity.

7. ln a slack-adjuster, the combination with a rotatable shaft, ot' a cooperating non-rotatable part having screw-threzuled connection with said shaft, a ratchct-\vheel tixed upon said shaft. a easing surrounding the ratchetwheel and rotatably siuinpiorted by said shaft, a pawl carried by said easing, a spirally-disposed incline projecting laterally fromisad casing, a lixed guide through which said shaft passes, a spirally-disposed incline upon said guide located in the path of movement of the incline ot the casing when the brakes are applied, a `linger fixed to said casing and projecting through a slot in said guide lfor limiting the rotary movement oiI said casing.

8. In a slack-adjuster, the combinati on with a rotatable shaft, olil a non-rotatable coperating part in screw-threaded engagement with said shaft, a ratchet-wheel Iixed upon said shaft, a casing surrounding the ratchet-wheel and rotatably supported by the shaft, a pawl carried by said casing, a spirally-disposed in eline projecting laterally from the casing, a cooperating lixed spirally-disposed incline located in the path ot' movement of the incline on the casing when the brakes are applied, a stop fixed upon said shaft adjacent to said casing for relieving the longitudinal strain imposed upon said casing during the rotation thereof by the cooperating inclincs.

ln testimony whereotl Y1 sign this specilication in the presence oil two witnesses.

Pif-HLLIP IAHEN.

v/Vitnesses:

Guo. L. WILiUNsoN, E. H. BELL. 

